How The MINI Cooper Lost Its Cool

MINI was a brand created in the midst of a fuel crisis. But the ultra-small cars designed to provide cheap and easy transportation for Britons in the 1950s and '60s became a cultural phenomenon and created the strong brand identity known around the world today. As more and more consumers opt for sport utility vehicles, the Mini looks to renew interest for a new generation.
The trouble is that bigger is better in America, and MINI's specialty is "small." Sales have fallen from a peak of around 66,000 units in 2013 to less than 44,000 in 2018.
Taking the if-you-can't-beat-them-join-them approach, MINI has beefed up its lineup, and now sells a sport utility known as the Countryman. MINI is also, like many other automakers, betting on electric. The company debuted the Cooper SE in July 2019.
» Subscribe to CNBC: cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBC
» Subscribe to CNBC TV: cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCtelevision
» Subscribe to CNBC Classic: cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCclassic
About CNBC: From 'Wall Street' to 'Main Street' to award winning original documentaries and Reality TV series, CNBC has you covered. Experience special sneak peeks of your favorite shows, exclusive video and more.
Connect with CNBC News Online
Get the latest news: www.cnbc.com/
Follow CNBC on LinkedIn: cnb.cx/LinkedInCNBC
Follow CNBC News on Facebook: cnb.cx/LikeCNBC
Follow CNBC News on Twitter: cnb.cx/FollowCNBC
Follow CNBC News on Instagram: cnb.cx/InstagramCNBC
#CNBC
#MINI
#MINICooper
How The MINI Cooper Lost Its Cool

[@oldred9122]

The original Mini had a reputation of being simple, affordable, reliable, and easy to work on. The new Mini has the opposite reputation.

[@losdesmayosdeNestor]

Yup! Their reliability is no good

[@Muzzaa]

I've had minis all my life and never had serious problems with any of them.

[@tombarclay7108]

I had friends with BMC minis when I lived in the UK in the 1960/70's. They were way too cramped... and dangerous. One of my friends had a minivan (like the car, only with a van body), and he used to drive at crazy speeds. He ended up rear ending a truck, and was decapitated. Absolutely no good for long trips. Extremely noisy. I'm not surprised that sales are dropping in the US. The price they charge for those things is extortionate. It's like trying to sell a Vespa scooter as a fuel effective Harley Davidson.

[@jasono4407]

Reality: there are no cars anymore that are "simple, affordable, reliable, and easy to work on" so that metric really isn't viable in the 21st century.

[@tombarclay7108]

@Stephen Hill My point was, they weren't safe back then, and they still aren't safe. If you have a collision with a medium sized car, or bigger, you're less likely to come out of it alive. I believe that the reliability issue relates more to the modern minis. I never knew anyone back then who had any major mechanical problems with the old simple models.

[@ralone8314]

"it was more become famous after The Italian job movie back in 1969" Wait i thought it's became famous because of Mr.Bean

[@thabangstevenmolefe1287]

i was thinking about that the entire time.bean deserves the credit

[@jon-unicorn-doxxer]

I thought mr.bean is in 80's or something?

[@emperorfaiz]

Jon N It’s a 90’s show and I’m pretty sure that show is the bigger influence for mini especially the light green and double black bars decal.

[@ralone8314]

@@emperorfaiz i wonder why they didn't even mention it ? I barely remember The Italian job movie but I'm sure almost everyone in the world knows Mr.Bean

[@kkk2.077]

Yeah it became famous because of Mr Bean and GTA Vice city

[@neridemol144]

2019 MINI Cooper $21,900 - $36,900 MSR..... Many Americans feel the price tag is too high for what you get .

[@nigelcharlton-wright1747]

How much? Bloody hell, well that's the reason, good old BMW!

[@mananagarwal7002]

@@nigelcharlton-wright1747 In India Mini Cooper Convertible costs $65000

[@ulascansahin4903]

@@mananagarwal7002 Unfortunetly same in Turkey Mini Cooper Convertible costs $61.860,63. Our government making more money with taxes than auto companies.

[@mananagarwal7002]

@@ulascansahin4903 Ya bro

[@flexiblebirdchannel]

It's a BMW. The high price tag of original BWMs is what americans love: A symbol that they can afford it.

[@arijitguha6794]

"How McDonald's and Burger King destroyed the market for Mini." would be right.

[@en1126]

Lol

[@indridcold8433]

Soda had an enormous part in it as well.

[@golden4730]

Here's the ANSWER: It lost its cool because it is no longer MINI and no longer affordable price tag!

[@indridcold8433]

Reliability is an issue also. The people that have them seem to have them at the mechanic several times a year.

[@ahmedmahay]

This is the correct answer

[@indridcold8433]

@@ahmedmahay Reliability became a huge issue as well. We no longer keep them as company vehicles because of how poorly they held up. They made good fuel economy and thed sales people loved driving them. But every single one we had broke down very quickly. It is a shame. I liked looking at them, though not so much fixing them.

[@neon_lavander]

It never lost its cool and I would say £16,000 before options is not bad

[@DevyKins]

You get one for like, $5,000 my guy

[@federalfinder]

These guys made a WHOLE VIDEO for a 2.8% sales drop... LOL I love my MINI... If it lost its cool, then I'm delusional because everybody loves driving in mine.

[@NothingButRye]

Legit lol. I dont particularly like Mini. But how has it lost its cool? what a negative video..

[@spotsill]

I still like ours but you must live in an area with great network support. We no longer have a dealer and our parts service etc need to be done at the bmw dealership 🤮🤮🤮🤮$$$$$$$$$$$$$. It took two weeks to get a new oil plug and we can’t even get spare keys made. It is fun to own until the expensive repairs start to hit home and your money hard . Ours is being garaged over the winter at this point because we got hit with the now widely known transmission issues the cheapest estimate to replace the module is $1,500 (70,000 miles). Sealed transmission and nobody can drain the transmission and replace the filter for us as suggested . The bmw dealer treats us like crap because working on our mini is beneath them 😂😂😂😂.

[@Gaudine]

I wouldn’t own one but I like how they look. Especially the round headlights and the Union Jack rear lights

[@psychoamerican]

I know right? I use my Mini countryman as a family car since junking my Honda CRV but despite less space it's still enjoyable and fun to cruise around in it lol

[@connorbush7848]

Dude my mini is amazing, it almost has 200,000 miles and nothing is wrong w it, I see a ton of minis everyday where I live, nothing about the mini is dying and they are fairly reliable little cars.

[@VenezuelaNow]

My parents has a 1970 Mini, little red thing, 2 adults, 2 kids, 2 dogs, and a weekend's worth of gear and food for the cottage jammed into it, fond memories

[@VenezuelaNow]

BTW my dad paid $1,800 in 1970 which was a huge amount of money for the little thing, I remember his friends thought he was crazy buying it

[@ChoySekMunSimon]

My mom's first car was a 1969 one. It was white and I loved it compared to my dad's Volvo 122.

[@oddities-whatnot]

The old Minis were reliable because nothing really to go wrong. All mechanical, no computers. Ive only ever had problems with modern cars because they are filled with too much tech, sensors and goodness knows what else. Im hoping to get a car for long term ownership at some point and until the electric car industry develops enough to be practical, I may well get a Subaru simply for their ability and robustness.

[@_B.M_]

This is just an American issue. In Europe, they sell by the bucketload ... people love them!

[@EngelSpiel]

I mean, I'm American, and I see them all the time. They're probably one of the more popular vehicles in my area.

[@frankkolton1780]

@@EngelSpiel Sure. A total of 43,684 Minis were sold in the US last year out of 17.5 million new cars, that's less than even a half percentage point, yet you see them everywhere. LOL, your full of it.

[@EngelSpiel]

Frank Kolton Then maybe it’s just the county where I live. I didn’t say that I’ve been seeing tons of all over the country. And to be fair, you mentioned the Minis sold last year - a lot of the Minis I see look like they’re from the mid-2000s, not last year. Maybe the occasional Countryman, too.

[@pcno2832]

Americans tend to favor big cars, but get occasional temporary infatuations with certain small models, most notably, the VW Beetle, which surged here during the hippie era just when VW was hoping to get rid of it. So it's not surprising that the mini would eventually fall out of favor here. But the poor reliability and high cost of ownership seem to affect owners worldwide. Of course, Europeans have been putting up with FIAT and Renault for decades; will their patience last forever?

[@jesusnice850]

@@EngelSpiel Cool calm and patient. Nice one.

[@kingofmexico5268]

The problem that mini has is not the quality or the looks it's the BMW price tag you get to service the damn thing

[@erebostd]

My mom has a Cooper s, and after the guarantee ended it never saw the bmw dealership again. There are so many free shops which service this thing very cheap, that's what we use. In fact, she uses lesser money on her car than my daughter on her Vauxhall corsa,since this thing had some quite big problems..

[@mz7786]

Not only the high price tag, but they often lie to their customers to get more repairs, thus more money, from their customers. You can find now most after market parts for very reasonable prices. I found that working on this cars is very fun and there are a lots of forums on how to do the repairs.

[@lex_uss]

I own a F56 Mini cooper (newer generation) and I can assure you it's not unreliable as people might think, I've taken the car for it's normal maintence (not to mention amazing Customer Service) and the interior feels premium but not up to BMW standards, but then again you're not fully paying for a BMW.

[@CammieGee]

How does a slight drop in US sales for a car that is still seeing growing sales in other markets translate to that car losing its cool?

[@darryl3392]

Title should have said “how BMW mini lost the BMC mini cool factor”

[@user-bh6zt1it2l]

It makes me laugh that the same people preaching about the environment are buying suvs and crossovers.

[@nigelcharlton-wright1747]

and don't forget those crazy electric cars. They are good for the earth's environment…

[@blairbrown4812]

At least I'm honest enough about my hypocrisy to admit that while I believe man-made climate change is real and must be stopped, it wouldn't prevent me from buying a Dodge Charger if I could.

[@baronvonjo1929]

@@blairbrown4812 Ye. Just got a 4runner lol

[@baronvonjo1929]

Crossovers are actually really fuel efficient it's the body on frame vehicles that tend to be less so. That's why people by CUVs and not as many SUVs and sedans. Mpg plus suv practicality.

[@bcubed72]

They built a shitload of McMansions n the woods I used to play in as a kid. Severasl of these hypocrites drive Prii; some with "eco-leaning" bumper stickers. Sorry: you bulldoze Bambi's living room; you don't get to talk. Yet, these hypocrites love to look down their noses at me in my work truck.

[@Deuteross]

The video doesn't in any way support the clickbaity thesis that the Mini lost its cool.

[@delavago5379]

This was expected

[@mooglemy3813]

Right! It never had it for many. Get a Japanese make especially from Honda and Toyota and motor on,

[@jackdooley8732]

Your right ,I got click baited.

[@neilturner6749]

MoogleMy if you have any interest in cars or knowledge of driving fun, then you wouldn’t mention the words Toyota and Honda in the same sentence as Mini. You’re talking like someone who simply sees cars as a reliable method of getting from A to B, which is missing the point of a brand like Mini completely.

[@vinesauceobscurities]

These CNBC editorials have always had a major America-centric slant. What I don't understand is why this garbage is being pushed to me on the recommendations.

[@tonyzed6831]

"compete with micro cars developped largely by germany"... shows a Renault Dauphine, not a micro car, not german, and nothing else. Please.

[@nigelcharlton-wright1747]

I noticed that too. They could have used an MGA, Austin Healey 3000, VW Beetle or any other European car.

[@Dromoys]

I saw it and thought "maybe in America they think France is part of Germany?"

[@hagerty1952]

I was going to make the same comment, except I believe that was a Panhard. Still French, though, not German. I guess they couldn't scare up footage of an Isetta or Messerschmidt?

[@BIZARROSCOPE]

@@hagerty1952: Nope, it's a Renault Dauphine. Super famous in France and parts of south America (manufactured in Argentina as Renault Gordini).

[@yannikoloff7659]

The only fact that you've been able to notice that makes you not american. And for american every european car is mini

[@jurivlk5433]

The hilarious price is the problem.

[@mikevale3620]

The hilarious size of gas guzzling SUV's and Ford pickups is the real problem.

[@jurivlk5433]

@@mikevale3620 No. We're talking about why the "Mini" isn't cool anymore. Of course giant cars are a problém, but not specifically to the Mini.

[@scotte2815]

well part of the problem probly the biggest part of the problem

[@lifeisastruggle5517]

it´s crazy how expensive it is

[@CaptainSteen]

This isn't a Yaris! It's a sports car! 26k base price is very affordable.

[@bremCZ]

The mini never lost it's cool. I still have an Austin Mini and it's never not been cool.

[@michaeltrivette1728]

Lol It never had any cool to lose

[@bremCZ]

@@michaeltrivette1728 That's right. It never had any to lose. It had it all to keep.

[@richardbhagan8949]

It lost its cool because it became outdated and then bmw turned it into a fashion item and made it bigger and now cut to present day with even BIGGER 'mini' models.

[@bremCZ]

@@richardbhagan8949 That BMW minis aren't cool doesn't change how cool my old one is, and if it does, it just makes mine cooler.

[@richardbhagan8949]

@@bremCZ Which model year is your mini

[@skmk88]

Short answer: it wasn’t mini anymore

[@TheDavidLiou]

I think this is normal. Whenever the fuel price is relatively low, USA always prefer less efficient, bigger cars.

[@OffGridInvestor]

How much can you keep a car cool based on a design that's been around since 1959...

[@jackdooley8732]

Americans love big cars until the price of gas goes hi.

[@spotsill]

People are stupid and always forget and are always shocked when price for gas Skyrockets again.

[@jackdooley8732]

Here in Colorado they boosted the sales tax by .25%Just to pay for the Light rail .90 % un occupied. Go figure?

[@justinfoxbody]

The problem with the many is that it's one the most unreliable cars you can buy

[@thomasthuene3173]

Having driven both, the old and new Mini, I can definitely say that the fun is the same in both of them, and that's what counts. We have a Clubman now, still loads of fun to drive, but we call it our "truck", because there is so much space in it.

[@eds8633]

I bought my 2004 Mini Cooper S (R53) new and still put smiles every mile to date. It's been reliable and I am keeping it forever. It's always special to me.

[@oddities-whatnot]

Nice one. Ive an F56 Cooper S, should last me a fair while hopefully.

[@funaicha1]

Many auto brands have plunging sales but mini is the one losing its "cool" for a 2.8 drop. Genious journalism.

[@WHITELIONNYC]

2.8% drop..."lost it's cool" I'm not a math genius... 👋🏿🤔🤔🤔🤔🤨🤔🤔🤔🤔👎🏿

[@jccoello]

From what I understood it's not about the sales numbers, it's about the fan community perception that now it's just another 21st century vehicle and nothing special like the original MINI

[@WHITELIONNYC]

@@jccoello that makes sense

[@frankkolton1780]

You're no genius if you don't use accurate numbers either. Mini Cooper sales in the US for 2017 47,105. Mini sales in the US for 2018 43,684. A drop of 7.3% Mini average total cost for maintenance and repair per year $903. Average cost for subcompact maintenance and repair per year $436 Not cool.

[@reezevlog]

Italian Job & Mr.Bean makes Mini so so cool....

[@randolfo1265]

"Micro cars, developed largely by German auto makers" - show French car. Good story though

[@faithlesshound5621]

Good to have that confirmed. I was thinking, "Isn't that a Renault Dauphine?" But what he showed was not a "microcar:" those were the likes of Heinkel, Messerschmitt, Bond and Reliant, which were descendants of the pre-war "cyclecars."

[@Damienov]

Roughing in Japanese Kei Cars

[@raymondlonghurst4655]

The original and real mini will always be cool

[@sveletemelody]

I've had a 2018 Mini Cooper Countryman for almost 2 years. It's still my dream car. Love the way it handles.

[@isabellajohns191]

I love minis too! I’m glad u love minis as well

[@cap10zeus89]

I had a 2016 mini for three years, no problems. I really wanted to get the 2019 but they got more expensive and could no longer afford one. Crazy that I can get a Ford Flex cheaper than a mini now.

[@C.I...]

That's a BMW, not a mini.

[@RLT124]

I have a MINI John Cooper Works 2019 and I love it :)

[@ToffeePlays19]

My first car is a 1993 mini Its the most fun thing to use

[@Gosh_Josh]

I'm a technician at a MINI dealer, the original minis were easy to work on, the new minis you can't even change your own battery without needing to take it to the dealer, because otherwise the car will complain to you in the form of warning lights

[@Gosh_Josh]

@Americannovice Twocentnovice there is a joke in the dealer that BMW is a tool company in the car business, nearly every job besides basic maintenance requires some special tool

[@weirdmindofesh]

When I saw a Mini Countryman on the road, I was baffled, the thing was larger than my Pontiac Sunfire! I was stunned and and slightly angry! There was this thing with a Mini badge that WASN'T a Mini!

[@dr.jamesolack8504]

Eric Hanchar Good God Almighty!, it was just another car on the road....and you were "baffled, stunned and slightly angry"??? When you see a Mustang on the road are you "baffled" because it has four tires and not four legs? What are you.....some kind of a nut?

[@MrTarmonbarry]

Yes but thats the same with the Fiat 500, used to be a tiny thing , cheap to buy and run , easy to fix but now its grown like its been to McDonalds to often

[@sleepycalico]

Having owned my basic MINI SINCE 2013, I did understand the appeal of the Countryman--people had figured out that they would like to be able to comfortably fit 3 bags of groceries into their cars. Sigh. But, yeah, it lost the cute factor.

[@pedroportillo1585]

@@sleepycalico I have to disagree. The MINI Cooper Countryman is bigger than your standard MINI’s, but they are still smaller than regular sized SUVs from other brands.

[@Ptitgars66]

Love how CNBC talks about the German small cars showing à Renault Dauphine... which si French.

[@elultimo102]

But it was designed by Ferdinand Porsche.

[@user-gv1fe5sz2p]

Well that was the most harsh intro ever.

[@de_stroyed]

#journalism

[@defencebangladesh4068]

Yep

[@spotsill]

Classic KZbin click bate😂😂😂.

[@matthewjenkins1161]

The Mini has never lost it's cool. The BMW 0.5 series that replaced it, was never cool. The End

[@C.I...]

tada.wav

[@SevenDeMagnus]

Hi. The Mini lost it's soul when it redesigned it beyond recognition.

[@NABAS777]

Great video. Part of the reason I feel sales have dropped here in the states is the price. They are expensive. It’s a great product, if the models were priced more efficiently sales would have been steady.

[@davidjacobs8558]

nah... it's mostly due to Scotty Kilmer calling it "Endless Money Pit as it Ages" on his KZbin channel everyday.

[@CallmeStue]

Lol

[@brandoncarlson340]

Lol #2

[@dongolahmed]

I was thinking of the same thing .. lol

[@dmfraser1444]

I have heard many stories about poor reliability for the Mini. The second worst car in the USA and Canada for reliability after the Fiat 500 series of cars. I have heard of many needing a new engine with under 100,000 miles on them. When even cars like my 2004 Ford Focus have the engine still ticking over and using no oil at 150,000 miles and Hondas going well past 200,000. The Mini seems especially prone to catastrophic failures.

[@leoncutajar1369]

The original was an affordable car which sold on it's size, practicality, STILL remarkable handeling and price plus the parts were/are very cheap to buy. The post 1999 car is no smaller then anything else in that category, is usually a lot more expensive and should something go wrong costs a bomb to fix. Apart from the retro cool factor there is no tangible reason to buy one.

[@SuperYellowsubmarin]

They turned it into a crossover, THAT'S HOW

[@derpherp5557]

I love it when people have no clue what they're talking about.

[@nomayor1]

A MINI review by americans. Enough said.

[@licenciadoleopoldocanoloza1144]

@@nomayor1 mini weights 1.5 ton and details look cheap. A half price suzuki swift is waaaay better, weights 500 kg less and it is more reliable. Mini is not what it was

[@nomayor1]

@@licenciadoleopoldocanoloza1144 No details on no MINI look or feel cheap. At least test-drive one so that you do not embarrass yourself with what you write. Also I am confident that you will find that, as the global market has evidently proved, no, the half price suzuki swift is not at all better.

[@licenciadoleopoldocanoloza1144]

@@nomayor1 right, haven't tried one, but i did go to a dealer because we needed a car, even salesman took us to storage to see more variants and it looks cheap, even the odometer screen and doors. And swift is not an even competition for the price and still wins. Both have similar details but swift with better lightweight materials and more reliable. Audi A1 and Mercedes hatch looks better in details and specs and are the real competitors. And surprisingly, audi is a reliable brand

[@nomayor1]

@@licenciadoleopoldocanoloza1144 You can only compare the MINI to a swift, if you are looking at photos of the MINI and a real-life specimen of the swift. The MINI is far ahead, it is head and shoulders better than the swift.

[@hd4100]

This narrator sounds like he's doing a high school project.

[@houchi69]

It is also not Mini anymore...have you seen the recent ones?

[@springbok4015]

The new ones are horrible.

[@marin909.]

Unfortunately due to safety regulations it’s near impossible to make a car for the us market much smaller than what they are putting out now.

[@armeniansdoitbetter]

Loved my 06, could get over the mechanical ailments and parts scarcity and buy a new one, but they are so horribly ugly now

[@robertdaone]

It lost its cool when BMW started making them and turned them into unreliable Bigi Coopers.

[@bestbmw1223]

They had to do they could keep up with all the new safety regulations 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@KBS_ar]

Actually they become more pretty but costly and unreliable.

[@rwdplz1]

The new cars have several significant and substantial flaws, plus the cost of BMW parts. Most savvy shoppers know to avoid them now.

[@rayhanrizvi334]

They are good cars but yea vry unreliable and expensive

[@wmcbarker4155]

owned a 1963 and I loved it, most fun driving car ever.

[@royfearn4345]

Me too. Mine went sprinting and hillclimbing. Wonderful memories, not just the car - the era too. Hippies, rock n roll, you name it!

[@jerrystewart2145]

Everyone talking bad about newer MINIs obviously hasn't driven one. Are they expensive? Yes. But worth every penny!

[@bgdrewsif]

Just passed 40,000 miles on my 2016 MINI (Sir Nigel) and haven't regretted it for a second... amazing vehicle!

[@rikidiki8940]

In a way like a fiat 500 the car has its own image and style you can easly point it out in traffic unlike camry accord and sonata type cars but man do they all just fall apart after 100k miles..

[@Surajsamyang10]

The video ended and i was still waiting for "hw does mini lost its cool".

[@BuckcreekTV]

My family has owned 3 Mini's (soon to be 4) in the last 5 years and we absolutely ADORE them. It would be great if they were a little more fuel-efficient but that is my only complaint. They truly are fantastic vehicles.

[@tonygunk1886]

Mini never lost their cool, thats how lol

[@C.I...]

The BMW mini was never cool. It is remarkable how they got people who wanted a small practical car to buy a fat, heavy, ugly, impractical speciality coupe instead. The mini name just had that much power, it would seem.

[@SpitfireFortyFour]

Mini lost it's cool in 2000 when it stopped being an Austin and became a BMW.

[@geoffchaytor4412]

1:29 It's British Motor Corporation, NOT British Motor Company

[@jakejuracka]

I have had my 2006 Cooper S JCW for 5 years now, and its the best car I could ever want. Its exactly as big as I need it to be, immensely powerful, and an absolute joy to drive. I would be happy sticking with Mini for the foreseeable future, as long as they keep making killer spec two door sports cars!

[@mpow3r972]

'05 JCW Cooper S in Chili Red/White here next to a '23 M3 Competition xDrive. The MINI was my first car and unlike the two M3s I've had, I'll never sell it. I drive the BMW daily and the MINI for fun. Opposite of what probably most people think but, that's my opinion! Happy Motoring man!

[@SeanHendy]

“The mini left the US in the 1960s when it couldn’t keep up with changes in emissions regulations” How ironic. And, is this actually true? Hard to believe given its engine was just 998cc compared to the V8 muscle cars of the same era?

[@dicesof8]

Yes, this is true. The EPA gave too many rules too quickly

[@fivish]

Engine was 850cc.

[@SeanHendy]

Philip Moran amongst various engine sizes 998cc was available from 1964.

[@C.I...]

To my surprise, the newest Rover minis actually didn't pollute that much (in CO2 terms, anyway.). The multi-point injection system must have helped a lot.

[@akhyarrayhka4048]

Its breaks too often, breaks too easy, hard to maintain, and expensive to fix.

[@fivish]

The latest ones have a particulary bad design of engine.

[@Djfmi]

Preach

[@jeanjeudi1111]

Exactly right.

[@Secretarian]

I know someone that bit on the brand allure and bought one. Several months in, bemoaning the endless money pit that it had become. While spending more time awaiting repairs than being on the road. Kind of like VW's new Beetle when they brought it back.

[@raimondsstokmanis1892]

Bmw ''reliability'' coupled with bmw prices . Which makes the car be what it wasn't. WHAT COULD GO WRONG?! Also, clickbait title.

[@KariIzumi1]

Accurate

[@fivish]

BMWs are not reliable easily below average. And owners trade them in quicker than any other brand.

[@philipluxembourg9013]

I had two original minis in the sixties. Had a Mini Paceman for four years and last year purchased a fully loaded upmarket mini, absolutely love it even at my age. Round about 1968 I was at the traffic lights in Tottenham Court Road UK, and there was John Lennon in his souped-up mini and me in my Ford Escort. We got stuck at each set of lights, and my girl friend at the time wouldn’t let me get out of my car to get his autograph.

[@wyattscheerer6469]

Watching this after buying a 2014 two days ago😂 I love it

[@NPAMike]

a 2019 base price 22k where as the civic and corolla start at 19k. Why would you buy a smaller more expensive car. Its suppose to be a economical car but the civic and corolla cost less get better mpg and is more reliable. The car is overpriced thats why its failing.

[@fridgemagnet9831]

same thing with beetle, why don't they make something affordable for developing world. relying too much on brand a looks and not focused n what cars supposed to do, get you from A to B without making you poor.

[@oguz5717]

mini is a premium brand compated to toyota or honda

[@TEverettReynolds]

This video did a poor job of explaining why anyone would buy a mini. > Its suppose to be a economical car Nope, its not. It drives like a small stock car, and with the turbo engine on the S models, they are quite zippy. My family owns 2 minis, a 2002 Cooper S and an 2015 Cooper S Convertible. They are just fun to drive. And if you get the JCW package, the car is like a race car with over 200 hp... No one in my family knew about or cared about the old minis. Thats all this video talked about.

[@campkira]

bmw.....

[@ClickLikeAndSubscribe]

But would you like a Rising sun on your Corolla mirrors or a Union Jack on your Mini's mirrors?

[@Zags78]

I've owned two a 2016 Cooper S and a 2019 Clubman JCW love em both. My wife loved My clubman so much she got her own. I wouldn't buy a pre 2013 model the have loads of issues but the newer one seem solid and there are loads of mini groups around where I live.

[@ravisriram6746]

The original Mini was the cool model, not the newer one.

[@hannahrae3414]

watching this when i have a mini cooper : 👁 👄 👁

[@timcrawford7306]

I’m American and personally don’t like SUVs. I don’t understand why anyone needs a auto the size of a house and gets ten mpg. I assume when gas prices return to $4 a gallon you’ll change your mind.

[@pcFOREVER89100]

We are taught that bigger is better.

[@dwightstjohn8549]

In LA my old school friends drive an SUV because the dealers made buying new and buying large LESS MONEY than buying an efficient vehicle of better quality for "kash", and too many don't have the cash. The good side is that it's driven largely around a small town, they don't commute every day for two hours, and it's safer when smashed into by all the idiot drivers down there. It's also "Made in "Merica".

[@HammaneggsAirborne]

We love to obsess over crash safety which seems to in part become a bit of an arms race, instead of having tighter control on who can get a license and living in more compact cities.

[@HammaneggsAirborne]

@Max Raider There's plenty of people who want to live in more compact cities. I've met countless people of my generation who wish they lived close to convenient mass transit, and tried to put off getting their drivers license until they have to. Perhaps if you are living out in the midwest or somewhere like that, it's different. As a student of city planning though, the current trend is to redevelop existing cities to be more acessible to people without necessitating cars, and to densify the built environment in a way that makes it more pleasant to live in. Plenty of places, both here and abroad, do quite well with living in smaller spaces than the relatively recent suburban sprawl, and by several metrics even show themselves to be better places to live.

[@FYMASMD]

When you get crushed in an accident in your toy car you will understand the value of a larger vehicle. Simple physics.

[@arniepineda7799]

"Endless Money Pits" -Scotty Kilmer

[@timurermolenko2013]

rolling pile of junk

[@gigi9467]

Hahaha so true!

[@indridcold8433]

If you know your mechanic well, or are a mechanic, and can get one really cheap, sure, get one for fun. But, just don't expect it to be reliable.

[@gigi9467]

Indrid Cold then why would i buy one? Theres so many other cars for tge price that are fun and reliable. Miata, civic si etc

[@indridcold8433]

@@gigi9467 Exactly. You got the point.

[@the1thatgotaway928]

I love my mini and is super cool to me. I'm 6'2" 220 lbs and took a 1600 plus miles trip last week and I was very comfortable

[@ArchefluxxMusic]

Expert Ivan Drury correctly and expertly highlighting how Mini's getting bigger is odd for a car named the Mini.

[@treborironwolfe978]

Freud ponders, "Perhaps the *Mini SUV* owners have an unusually large phallus and are, for some reason, ashamed of it."

[@mooglemy3813]

Or it's a little winky and the mini fits perfectly.

[@samy8897]

mini won my heart first while i was playing my first pc game MID-TOWN MADNESS

[@stevehughes2133]

I love my classic Mini, it just makes me smile! I have never considered or looked at a BMW version they just missed the mark IMO.

[@temich1985]

The first time I ever heard of this car was from watching Mr. Bean lol

[@iantm15235]

My wife and I enjoy them. We had a 2011 Clubman for four years. I've got a 2004 Cooper S that's my plaything. We have BMW SUV's for day to day. As long as you stick to the Cooper S variants, these are pretty decent little cars. Almost all of the issues are known and documented. Most repairs are fairly straightforward and clearly documented online. Like the Miata, it's almost impossible to drive a Mini without a smile on your face.

[@nickiemcnichols5397]

Ian Campbell I drove a Miata once, and it was the best handling car I ever drove. It was a cornering monster!

[@C.I...]

But the mini ceased production in 2000... You got yourself a couple of huge BMWs there.

[@kyrrilcrepeele1353]

@@C.I... By your standards a lamborghini is just a volkswagen then? Just because an overarching autogroup takes control of a brand, doesn't mean the original brand no longer exists, Mini is still Mini, it just answers to another boss now.

[@RonsonDalby]

Prices start at AU$31,000 for the 3 door hatch in Australia and range up to AU$60,000 for the JCW Countryman. Insane.

[@stephanledford9792]

I have a 2018 Mini convertible and love driving it. I did wait to buy till the reliability ratings in the Consumer Reports magazines went from red (bad) to green ( best), which started changing in 2016. This thing is a blast to drive and is get decent mileage. It does have a back seat but it really is only practical for small children. I have been in one of the older Minis and actually appreciate the larger models on the road today. If anyone reading this is thinking about buying a Mini, consider the convertible. Driving with the top down on a beautiful day is an amazing experience.

[@FunForYegon]

Grew up in a village in Africa and this was my Dad's car. Beautiful reliable car

[@scottex.]

Fun fact, the mini 997 is the rarest mini because they made it just because they wanted to compete in a 1000cc competition. If you know something about minis you know that it's a 998 the 1000cc engine

[@vascofrancisco9903]

We in Europe love small cars. The Qashqai is the only crossover in a top 10 dominated by hatchbacks.

[@shankarbalan3813]

I love my Mini Cooper S 2012. Yes it is hard to work on because of the electronics and the tightly squeezed mechanics, all somehow squashed into that engine bay. But it is a lovely little maneuverable machine which is unrivalled in its fun factor.

[@patrickmcbrearty2621]

Funny how they made a video about the mini cooper and used a thumbnail of a mini mayfair instead, not a cooper😆😋

[@TheToucherOfgrass]

Reason: reliability

[@seyoummichael1722]

Can you make your response in ALL CAPS!!!!

[@andrewnaronin8957]

Mini 3 Door Hatch has the reliability of 91.01%, which is one of the best in its class. Mini Countryman is being called Reliable Great-looking SUV and gets its places in compilations of reliable cars. Also, Mini does a regular facelifts, by which it fixes the minor engineering problems. So, all in all, it's still a reliable pretty car with its own character and fanbase. If you want to find cons of having one - go on, you definitely will, as well as on any other car, but people have reasons to love it.

[@whichdoctor4858]

The 2007 model had a engine chain issue. The latest has a proven BMW engine. It does have weak paint though.

[@alphamadzanire2953]

after watching this, I ask myself, which cars produced in 2019 will be iconic in 60 years time?

[@unicorntomboy9736]

The Tesla model S

[@smeterpan3073]

I love my Mini. Nothing could ever change that.

[@Ayaforshort]

I wanted a mini Cooper but when I told my friends and coworkers they looked at me like I was a loser. I still might get a mini Convertible one day though 😋

[@pedroportillo1585]

F**k them bro! You get the car you want. I had the same reaction from family and friends, but I still got a MINI Cooper Countryman. Now, my friends and family always want to ride with me and I always remind them how they really didn’t like the idea at first. It’s funny now though.

[@RLT124]

@@pedroportillo1585 that happened to me hahaha. I own a 2019 JCW and everyone (except my parents and my brother) was like: “MINI’s are stupid, you don’t know about cars, you should have bought a Golf GTI”. Now everyone wants to be in my car. They love it.

[@AQ-101]

@@pedroportillo1585 that's amazing 😂

[@AQ-101]

@@RLT124 a mini is way cooler than a golf gti

[@RLT124]

@@AQ-101 you think? Haha

[@Agtsmirnoff]

Omg it drops 2% one year and CNBC felt the need to make a video about it?

[@hw229]

The car in the thumbnail isn’t a Mini Cooper...

[@indiekiddrugpatrol3117]

@@nilesh0334 it's a rover mini

[@SpitfireFortyFour]

@@indiekiddrugpatrol3117 With the black trim pieces it's a base spec '80s model so it's likely an Austin Mini City.

[@krajmutfak8940]

It should be called “AUSTIN MAXI!” My friend had a 2011 model. He didn’t like it, and now drives a Fiat 500.

[@Milnoc]

Get an Abarth, and you end up with a demon go-kart! 😁

[@mrcalderon93]

Fiats are rolling turds

[@hermanmunster3358]

The Austin Maxi was a completely different car, also produced by BMC/British Leyland Group.

[@KariIzumi1]

Oof

[@ocallaghan3865]

Tell your friend to look at the japanese kei car market

[@lifeisastruggle5517]

people could manage with smaller cars before and the biggest thing they had was a station wagon. something changed with the car industry that started building big SUVs and Pick Ups and all of a sudden people start to think that they have to have such big cars even though they can manage with small cars like Mini, Fiesta, Fiat 500

[@deggers78]

The mini is one of the coolest cars ever, that was before BMW killed it

[@sterbprepper4798]

You sound old

[@deggers78]

@@sterbprepper4798 and you have never driven the original mini clearly.

[@indiekiddrugpatrol3117]

@@sterbprepper4798 he sounds correct

[@isabellajohns191]

It didn’t loose its cool, you lost your cool Mini is always going to be cool

[@CamdenBloke]

When I first learned about the car, before the BMW version came out, I was calling it a Morris Mini. Later I heard the name Mini Cooper and a few other names for that car and got confused about what it was really called. I never owned a mini, but my Geo Metro was a lot of fun for a few years and had a similar appeal .

[@sleepycalico]

I like my cute 2013 manual shift. Zippy little car. I often regret the infuriating lack of basic storage space, though. Maybe I will finally have learned to be more practical with my next car purchase.

[@eriknephrongfr8847]

They’re too expensive

[@dr.jamesolack8504]

eriknephron gfr Then don't buy one. It's not rocket science!

[@eriknephrongfr8847]

Dr. James Olack It’s called a criticism, Dr.. Also not rocket science.

[@dr.jamesolack8504]

eriknephron gfr "too expensive"....,Maybe just qualify your statement a bit.....like, too expensive for whom? I suppose we could infer that they're too expensive for "you". Nothing Follows.

[@eriknephrongfr8847]

Dr. James Olack Easy...Anyone for whom value is a virtue.

[@RChyshkevych]

The Mini aint that mini anymore, and kinda expensive for a "small" car

[@oddities-whatnot]

Cars always increase in size with newer models for any brand, although the exception is the new Yaris, its actually shorter than the previous model.

[@jjk4891]

3:25 MINI sure attracts people from all different class!

[@giocondakisses]

What astonishes the most about this video into, is that you have to add "from the Rolling Stones " after Mock Jagger 😁

[@seashoreut]

That's not a German car at 1:45. It's a Renault Dauphine.

[@aleksbalazic]

It lost it's cool when it stopped being a cheap Mini and started being an expensive BMW 1 series

[@grahamsmith2022]

As a Brit,please don't confuse the Austin Mini with the pastiche of Mini like styling cues on the bloated BMW,the only thing "Mini" is the badge, the price tag is far from Mini.

[@cvcoco]

As I remember it in the 60s in the US, Mini wasnt a hit, more people bought the Morris Minor which was a quirky and interesting alternative to the Beetle. And it had enough space! The popularity of the Mini came when they put the 1275cc engine in and when people saw it go like a bat out of hell, things got interesting. Problem was, for all British cars, they were unreliable and generally weak, like weak electrics, suspensions and fuel systems. Thats where VW shined and the Mini steadily fell out of favor.

[@coalieroller5663]

5:29 The A4 doesnt have a transverse mounted engine

[@Vmvmvmvmvn]

It's so expansive, it simply doesn't worth the price.

[@C.I...]

Expansive is definitely the word.

[@dartarkana4279]

I changed my mini cooper S thermostat yesterday and he's happy 😆

[@Acord718]

I love mini Cooper I see a lot of people in NYC driving them. My dream is to buy a mini cooper

[@bestbmw1223]

In Britain it’s still seen as trendy and cool/cute and is very popular 🇬🇧🤷🏼‍♂️

BMW MINI !!! I LOVE THEM! GP2 RULES!

[@kingjames4886]

the doors were originally too thin to even have wind-down windows, ofc they had to make it wider to fit side airbags.

[@ofaoilleachain]

To cut it short, they lost their cool in the new millenium, when they made the new Mini Cooper in 2000, if they’d stuck to the same small car but improved upon it, keeping the same size they’d be even more popular today